Ten #3
“Yeah. Trust me, I can’t believe it either. But Ava’s stuck in my head. I needed a month to get things right with my daughter. Now it’s her mother’s turn.”
“Last time I talked to her, she was a tough nut,” Carlo says. “Thought we were all spawned by Satan, not fit for heavenly types like her and that nun who raised her. Don’t think she’ll roll over easy.”
“She’ll come around.”
“What’s your plan to tame her?”
Brando pipes up. “Lock her in the house till she gives in.”
I shake my head. “That won’t work.”
“It worked on Emily,” Carlo says casually.
“Emily and Ava are worlds apart,” I explain.
“When Emily came into your life, she was a normal girl from a normal family. Her parents raised her with love, and after they died, her aunt took her in with open arms. She was like a house cat, used to affection and care. When she fell into your trap, the violence of our world broke her spirit before you even touched her. For her, trusting, bonding, putting down roots was natural, learned from her family. She was looking for love and found it in you, even though you didn’t deserve her, Carlo. God knows it, and so do you.”
Carlo just shrugs.
I go on, “But Ava? She comes from a broken home. A girl who escaped an abusive father, lived on the streets for six months, fought to survive, and has been carrying the weight of her life alone all these years.
Compared to Emily, she’s a stray cat. She doesn’t buy people’s kindness, trust is a struggle, but locking her up won’t tame her, it’ll break her.
And whether I like it or not, my little girl’s world hinges on Ava.
I’m not going to fuck my kid’s life. So I’ve got no choice but to be patient and let time do its thing. ”
Carlo stares at me for a moment, then points a warning finger my way. “Let that be the last time you call Emily a house cat.” Then he turns to Brando. “He really is an expert in women.”
One of Brando’s male staff leans in, whispering something. Brando nods, dismissing him.
“That damn politician’s lost it. Fourth night in a row he’s here, playing poker like a madman. Lost five million in four nights,”
I saw Rosa on my way in. Brando’s probably talking about him.
Carlo asks my question for me. “Rosa?”
Brando nods. “Maybe his wife’s leaving him. God bless women who divorce their husbands. Without them, I’d lose half my yearly profits.”
***
Before we step into Carlo’s mansion, I pat his shoulder. “Thanks for letting Ava and Aurora stay at your place. I know you don’t like Ava, because of the lie she told you and the potential threat she posed to your family.”
The day after Ava introduced me as Aurora’s father, I left for Naples.
That bastard Leonardo couldn’t have picked worse timing, forcing me to leave right before Aurora could call me Dad for the first time.
There was no one I trusted more than Carlo to protect my family.
And I’m sure of one thing. If Ava weren’t tied to me, Carlo never would’ve let her anywhere near his household.
Once again, I owe him.
He slaps my shoulder, heading toward the mansion. “I didn’t do much. I trust you’d put your life on the line for mine too if it came to it, Maxim.”
I nod firmly. “Without a second’s hesitation.”
As we reach the kids’ playroom, my phone pings. Carlo steps inside, and instantly, I hear the excited squeals of his boys, thrilled to see their dad. I check my phone, a message from the guy I’ve got tailing Leonardo. The filthy pig survived.
I slip the phone back in my pocket and enter the room. Carlo’s got each boy tucked under an arm, listening intently to their nonstop chatter. Emily and Ava are on the floor across the room, surrounded by books and toys.
And then there’s my little Carrot, standing in her pink velvet pajamas beside Ava, watching Carlo and the boys. The sadness in her eyes guts me. Carlo had warned me, said she’d feel left out seeing him with his sons. Fuck, he was right.
I don’t know what Ava sees in my face, but her eyes shift toward Aurora, ready to comfort her. Before she moves, Emily grabs her hand, shaking her head no.
I take a few steps forward and call out to my daughter, “Aurora.”
The ache in my chest is heavy, suffocating, something I’ve never felt before.
She turns her tiny head to look at me, holding my gaze for a long moment. Then she glances at Carlo, who’s now watching us too. And finally, with those small, careful steps, she walks toward me.
A few feet away, she stretches her arms up and calls out, “Daddy!”
I bend down and scoop her into my arms. I’ve heard that word a thousand times from Carlo’s boys, and it always sounded meaningless. But now, from her lips, it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever known.
I press her delicate frame to my chest, her tiny arms looping around my neck, wrecking me completely. I kiss her soft, sweet cheek and whisper something I’ve never said to anyone. “I love you so much, baby.”
She clings to me tighter, tucking her head into my neck.
Carlo looks at me with pride, Emily with warmth, and Ava with tears in her eyes.
I’ve claimed my daughter. Now that my daughter is finally mine it’s time for the next step.
Operation Tame Ava starts tonight.